Our 2017 Pete Christensen Wine Grape Short Course was held on December 12 and 13 on the UC Davis campus. The 2-day program brought a full house of industry winegrape growers and winemakers each day. The programs were moderated by Cooperative Extension Specialist in Viticulture, Dr. Kaan Kurtural, and included a full range of topics including the latest research on all things vineyard-related. Our speakers came here from all over California, as well as Oregon and Washington.

UC Davis hosted another successful On the Road event in the Sierra Foothills wine country, in collaboration with farm advisor Lynn Wunderlich. The program on the 28th of November covered a wide range of topics, from using winery wastewater for irrigation by Dr. Anita Oberholster to micro-oxygenation discussed by Professor Andrew Waterhouse. Microbiological issues from friend to foe were covered by Drs. Linda Bisson and Ben Montpetit as well as Lucy Joseph. Like always lunch was shared to exchange ideas about the future and needs of the industry.

Juan Alonso is a transfer student from Napa Valley College who's currently a fourth-year undergraduate in the Department of Viticulture and Enology. Juan is originally from a small town in the state of Michoacan, Mexico but migrated to the Napa Valley when he was only four years old. Juan comes from a family of farmers that planted corn and strawberries back in Mexico, who quickly adjusted to working with grapes. This is the root of his interest in agriculture.

Charles “Chik” Brenneman, winemaker and facility manager for the Department of Viticulture and Enology, oversees all winemaking operations and has been an invaluable partner with the faculty in creating UC Davis’ world-renowned research and teaching program and facilities. In October at the 2017 College Celebration he was honored among staff with the CA&ES Award of Distinction.

The devastating 2017 wildfires in Northern California affected many producers in the wine country of Napa, Sonoma and Humboldt counties. Many questions have arisen about the repercussions on grapes and winemaking in these areas. Researchers at UC Davis are working now to help determine some answers. Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by these fires.

The Department of Viticulture and Enology, in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, at the University of California, Davis, invites applications for an Assistant Professor of Plant Physiology. This is an academic year (9month), Assistant Professor tenure-track position with teaching, research, outreach/engagement and service responsibilities and includes the expectation that the appointee will conduct mission oriented research and outreach/engagement of relevance to the California Agricultural Experiment Station

This program introduces students to winemaking and covers grape types, grape production, fermentation science, wine styles, alcohol and health, sensory evaluation, wine history, and an overview of the major wine regions of the world. We will use the opportunity of being in France to visit many of the major French wine regions, including Alsace, Burgundy, Beaujolais, the northern and southern Rhone, and Provence.